Experts on climate change have long been claiming that the world’s climate is changing. But there are always doubting Thomases, who either deny outright the occurrence of climate change or minimize its effects if it ever exists. About a year ago, a critic of my report on marine protected areas made a statement casting doubt on climate changes affecting coral reefs.  I “stuck to my guns” in a reply to him, citing as evidence observations on an island protected from the fury of typhoons off southern Palawan where there was an obvious beach erosion that toppled many mature coconut trees.

Not too long ago a couple of climate experts were quoted in a newspaper as saying that natural occurrences such as typhoons and hurricanes have occurred with increased frequency and have become more severe in the 21^st century. One of them was a retired Filipino climate scientist. The opinions of these scientists appear to be borne out by recent events.  

The years 2004-2005 have given us some cause for alarm over the destructive effects of typhoons in the eastern hemisphere (northern Philippines) and hurricanes in the western hemisphere (Gulf of Mexico). These are occurrences about which the best science appears to explain but unable to prevent or mitigate. The only thing science can do is to allow us to be warned giving us time to escape their wrath and to view the course of their paths of destruction.  Human beings are completely under the mercy of these natural events.  It must be frustrating to many of us who have relied on science and technology to guide the course of their lives. Many have questioned why the Ruler of the Universe allows such destructive events.

Primitive human societies apparently had accepted a simple explanation for these events, namely, as punishment for humankind’s sins and transgressions of Divine laws. They are punishments that must be accepted and endured. It is not surprising that many people today still believe in this explanation. There is no serious objection to this belief if it leads to a change in our attitudes and ways of doing things especially as related to our treatment of nature.

A rational explanation of the apparent increased frequency and increased severity of natural events lies in the behavior of human beings. We have been profligate in the use of natural resources and have essentially fouled up the earth, the net result of which is climate change. This change appears to be manifested by more severe natural occurrences including typhoons, hurricanes, El Niño events, floods, and tidal surges, in turn triggering a host of after-effects that disrupt normal natural processes.

Because these events are global in effect, the solutions must also be global. The international community is not lacking in such proposed global solutions. For example, the Kyoto Protocol aims to solve one major cause of climate change—global warming. But it is not acceptable to the large powerful countries that contribute very much to this global warming phenomenon. These countries want to grow and grow, but in their desire to improve their economies, they drag down other small countries literally struggling to keep their heads above seawater, such as the small islands in the South Pacific.

The Philippines must learn lessons from local and global natural events.

 

But not only the Philippines, all of the world has to open her Eye  (Martin Jordan)              

A.C. Alcala

 

Apo Island Marine Reserve is now 27 years old, having been established through a written agreement between Dauin Municipality and Silliman University in 1982. In reality it began as a community-based no-take marine reserve protected by most of the local community members of the Barangay of Apo Island as early as 1980, but later acquired a stronger   legal framework through a municipal ordinance approved by the Dauin Municipal Council, Dauin, Negros Oriental province in 1986. In that year, the marine reserve can be considered local government-managed. Note that this ordinance predated the Local Government Code of 1991, showing that Dauin was ahead of the times in marine conservation.

 

But beginning in 1986, the reserve has been actually co-managed by the local government and the local community, with the Apo community providing a very effective protection effort.

 

In 1994, Apo Marine Reserve was proclaimed by Philippine President F. V. Ramos as a “Protected Landscape and Seascape” under the 1992 National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act. Under this law, Apo Marine Marine Reserve came under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) as the implementer of the rules and regulations of the Apo Marine Reserve. However,  elements of local management are part of the management practices of the PAMB.

 

By the way, some people, including a Silliman sociologist and two CRM “experts” from a British university and the present mayor of Dauin municipality, have criticized this shift from local government governance to national governance by the PAMB arguing that the Presidential proclamation under the NIPAS was a mistake for various reasons. The mayor’s main reason is the requirement to remit user fees to the national government, denying immediate use by the local community of Apo. This is no longer true after a couple of years of advocacy led by us to change this regulation. A new set of regulations, DAO No. 2008-26, provides that the 75% share of the local community should now go to them directly and should be deposited in the local banks.

 

The criticism of the British “experts” that the PAMB has not done its job is subject to debate. Their conclusion that Apo Marine Reserve is no longer the number one community-managed no-take marine reserve in the world has little, if any, scientific basis. These critics have not pinpointed the world’s number one no-take, community-based marine reserve that replaced Apo. The reason is simple, there is none.

 

Before the establishment of the Apo Marine Reserve in 1982, the Island of Apo was part of the study area of scientists at the Silliman Marine Laboratory headed by myself. In the late 1960s and the whole decade of the 1970s, the land vertebrates and the marine biodiversity of Apo Island were studied by us.

 

In the late 1970s, we conducted a program on conservation biology among the residents of the island using information on fish, fisheries and coral reefs gathered from Sumilon Island off southern Cebu, where we had earlier, in 1974, established the first no-take marine reserve in the country. We conducted lectures illustrated by color slides, one-on-one meetings with the Apo community, and community assemblies on biological conservation, emphasizing the important roles of marine reserves in improving biodiversity, enhancing fisheries yield through spillover, and other uses benefiting coastal communities such as tourism, as well as destructive effects of blast fishing and muro-ami fishing on coral reefs. These activities were preliminary requirements to formal community organizing that was conducted by our social workers in the early 1980s. Community organizing was the final activity that resulted in the empowerment of the people to manage their resources without depending on government action prior to the establishment of the Apo Marine Reserve. The Reserve is the central feature of the whole conservation program that distinguishes the Apo Marine Reserve from a number of marine protected areas in the world.   

 

An estimated 500 residents inhabited the island during the 1970s and the 1980s. At those times, it was obvious that the main source of livelihood for the people was fishing. The marks of poverty and malnutrition were seen on the faces of both adults and children. Their dilapidated houses completed the picture showing their poor living conditions. 

        

How is Apo Marine Reserve today? Apo Marine Reserve has served as a model of conservation where the local community and national and local agencies of government have participated. As such, it has influenced resource policy such as those in the Fishery Code of 1998. It has influenced local government units to establish marine protected areas now numbering some 563 in the Visayas and about 1000 throughout the country. It has been show-cased by a famous aquarium in Chicago, USA, the Shedd Aquarium. It is still the best community-managed (despite its national park status) no-take marine reserve that attracts people on vacation, scientists, students, foreign media people, and tourists. In 2008, 17,329 visitors, of which 60% came from other countries, enjoyed the clear waters, the coral reef and the white beaches of the island.  These visitors spent 5.2 million pesos (ca 110, thousand US dollars) for user fees in 2008, excluding hotel accommodations and travel expenses. People have better houses now, and the island is clean and orderly. The island’s land and marine resources appear to have been maintained and are flourishing. Its coral reef produces at least 15 tons of fish annually, and there is evidence that part of this biomass comes from the reserve through spillover. Its coral reef has remained healthy despite climate change effects (warming) in 1997-1998. But most important of all, the people of Apo Island have higher incomes now and are happy and healthy and more than ever committed to protect and manage their resources for themselves and for posterity.

 

Having said all the good things about Apo, I am challenging all members of the Apo PAMB and the Protected Area Superintendent to do their respective duties well in protecting and managing the no-take reserve and the biodiversity in the coral reef and in Apo’s forest and in using Apo’s large income from tourism to maintain the island’s natural resources:

1.       The island’s population has increased from 500 to more than 800. The island’s carrying capacity is probably almost exceeded by this number. Island ecosystems are fragile and careful attention should be focused on the human population, otherwise Apo will go the way of Boracay, which is on a downhill trend because of too many people and serious water pollution.  An aggressive population management of the kind began by PATH Foundation should be continued.

2.       Young people from Apo are now learning skills to allow them to get jobs outside of Apo, and they should be encouraged to take these jobs.

3.       The island’s sewerage system should be checked to see to it that pollution of coral reefs and the shallow waters of Apo by wastewater from toilets is avoided.

4.       The lagoon must become part of the protected area. All fishpond leases must be recalled or terminated. This is DENR’s job. After all, DENR gets 25% of all user fees collected from visitors. In addition the area of the present marine reserve should be enlarged to include the entire third of the southeastern side in order to increase the spillover effect of the reserve.

5.       The amount of damage due to careless diving and snorkeling should be determined. It should not exceed one percent per year. Damage to corals results from divers standing on fragile coral colonies, so divers must be made to understand this fact.

6.       The number of scuba divers allowed to dive in one day should be continually assessed. The number of fishers should also be assessed with a view to preventing fishers from other areas to fish off Apo Island.

7.       Planting of more mangroves to replace those dying and to cover more beach areas should be done in order to shield the island from the rising sea level and from storm surges.

8.       All houses and structures on the beaches near the upper tidal limits should be removed to prevent them from being washed away by storm surges.

9.       The Bantay Dagat and those involved in assisting scuba divers must have a continuing education on coral reefs and fish and the effects of climate change on the marine environment. Authorities in marine biology and oceanography should be utilized as lecturers.

10.    The Apo community through its Bantay Dagat must monitor at least once a year the status of the corals, invertebrates and fish of the island. Monitoring is part of the community’s responsibility in management, and the Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) and the PAMB should see to it that monitoring is implemented.           

     

If the above suggestions are followed, I have no doubt that Apo Marine Reserve will continue to be number one among community-managed no-take marine reserves in the world.

Diminishing Baby Hawksbill Turtles Get a Lift

Zamboanguita Bantay Dagat has released 18 baby hawksbill turtles today , May 25, 2010 at the Marine Protected Area managed  by Dive Hub in Siit, Siaton. It is deemed an ideal area for them to swim out safely. Though Antonio “Tony” Yocor_s team is resolved to vigilantly watch the turtle eggs from poachers, their eventual survival in open water has still to be managed. In recent months, it has been observed that the baby turtles who successfully survive poaching get entangled in gill nets (pokot), which are generally practiced by fishermen  in areas close to where mother turtles lay their eggs.

 

As the newly hatched turtles appeared weak, the idea of waiting until they gain strength to venture unprotected in the wild was considered. Based on past experiences, these baby turtles that were given protection as eggs and later released were soon discovered on the shores, dead. Dr. Angel Alcala was consulted, and he advised that the Phil. Law prohibits this, and advised the team to carefully release the turtles in a safe shore area as soon as possible. The Bantay Dagat who have taken the pains of protecting these endangered species suspect that the water close to Siit Bay is unsuitable for juvenile marine life due to the overloading of carbon-based nitrogen  and phosphorous compounds from the uneaten feeds from the bangus fish cages in Siit Bay. The uncontrolled presence of these toxins degrades the water quality by reducing oxygen levels. The pollution is believed to be spreading out to Lutoban and other coastal barangays close to the said bay.

 

These baby turtles were delivered to the municipal Bantay Dagat by Alfredo `Titing`  dela Pena  of Punta Beach, Poblacion, and fisherman Mesael Elnar, which, according to them, hatched last Tuesday at dawn. They promptly took the baby turtles in a basin with water from the sea, hoping that they can be safely given proper care. Hawksbill turtle species is a solitary nester that prefers isolated beaches, and there are very few nesting sites left for them. A long term plan to reserve a  turtle sanctuary in an isolated area free from mariculture side effects, squatters,  and domestic animals has to be urgently addressed.

 Zamboanguita Chief of Police Teodorico Picardal, one of the strongest assets of the marine conservation program of the municipality, said that they seriously put effort in raising awareness for the community to help save the marine environment and actively participate in its management through volunteerism. “Increasing awareness for marine ecosystem protection is equipping  the residents to support our marine conservation programs, “ Picardal said.  “Many people still have to understand that the oceanic system provides most of the oxygen we breathe, and these bodies of water drive weather patterns and affect climate,”  he adds.  

This shift in attitude is very recent, though.  Seagrasses, which used to be abundant in nearshore areas, have been harvested close to depletion. This used to be the nursery grounds for juvenile fishes, crustaceans, and other invertebrates.  Due to current protection, the coral cover in the area of Lutoban is now recovering, but  the reef now have a more difficult time growing because of climate change and ocean acidification. Tony Yocor and his  impressive team of volunteer sea wardens hope that with the establishment  of Marine Protected Areas in their coastal barangays, fisheries management problems will decrease and prevent the collapse of  their municipal fishery. And perhaps, these turtles will come back alive in 30 to 40 years, and lay eggs to balance the life of our children´s generation.

 

end

May 4, 2010

 

Mr. Loreto B. Alburo, CESO IV

Regional Director

Mines and Geosciences Bureau, DENR

Greenplains Subdivision, Banilad

Mandaue City, Cebu

Fax: 346-9176 email: mgb7cebu@yahoo.com

 

 

 

SUBJECT:  OBJECTION TO APPLICATION OF KOLINSKI MINING  CORPORATION EXPLORATION OF SIATON AND ZAMBOANGUITA

 

Dear Mr. Alburo:

 

We are opposing the  the  mining exploration applied for by Kolinski Mining Corporation.  We  as direct stakeholders of the areas are writing our appeal for protection and to voice out our concern for the DENR to support small farms in Siaton and Zamboanguita  as this will help our farming communities to be economically viable, create carbon-absorbing greenbelts, and can mean less energy used, less pollution to bring food to our table. Moreover, Siaton is classified as fishing , rice farming, and tourism zones and provide jobs, food, ecological services, recreation and tourism opportunities that play critical roles not only in our municipality’s economy, but benefits our  country`s  comprehensive policy on environmental protection where all local governments are obliged in all measures to consistently apply RA 8550- where we are mandated to safeguard the health of the marine environment, and  prevent, reduce, and control of its pollution and degradation.  Siaton has currently four Marine Protected Areas and shall continue to establish more as our coasts are lined with coral reefs that make these ideal for conservation that will sustain life. 

 

 Our group is actively conserving  such coastal resources, and these efforts are privately funded, where scientific proof of our success is attached. The area we protect is surveyed yearly by Silliman Uniiversity-Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management (Directory of Marine Reserves in the Visayas, p. 119, No. 26, Antulang Marine Reserve). Likewise, proof of how magnetite or gold mining  in Cagayan has increased the area´s vulnerability to floods as magnetite holds the sand together, and mercury that is used for mining gold will permanently damage not only the groundwater  where we get drinking water from, and the soil where our farmers grow basic crops. The absence of magnetite in the sand can deplete the coastal and near-shore areas as now being experienced in La Union. Of course there is a lot of money to be had from this business deal, but please think of the majority who will eventually be crippled if you choose to waive DENR’s responsibility. We believe magnetite and gold mining is harmful and not sustainable.

 

Though Pres. Arroyo  “harmonized”  conflicting laws that contradict the Mining Act in 2004, we still have to follow international laws that protect our coasts from further degradation by industrial and commercial activities, be that onshore or offshore, that affect habitat loss, rising sea levels, or ocean acidification that lead to climate change.  The value of our marine resources is not a trade-off between the economy and the environment, and we need to ensure accountability for all of our actions affecting our fishery, ocean, coasts, and other marine resources.  Our basic municipal resources therefore require protection as we have a stewardship responsibility  from every government sector  who is tasked to monitor abuses and pollution for the benefit of this and future generations.

 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources  carries the Filipino people’s mandate to review existing environmental policies to ensure integration and collaboration across jurisdictional lines in meeting the objectives of our regional governance structures, and national and international policies for our oceans and coasts that we can employ an integrated and comprehensive ecosystem-based approach that addresses conservation and sustainable use of our country`s very precious coral reefs. For such reasons, we strongly object to all mining explorations in our municipality  as it endangers directly our reefs and poisons the fish  that sustain the majority of our community members´  daily food consumption.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

DIVE HUB

 

 Gena R. Dayon

 

 

Martin R. Jordan

 

 

Arnold Alapap

 

 

Marites J. Zapanta

 

 

Junilyn G. Macabunlog

 

 

 

Enc:  SUAKCREM Technical Survey of Dive Hub MPA

         

 

Cc:   Barangay Captain R. Bondocan,  Siit, Siaton

        Mayor Arbolado, Mun. of Siaton

Sample:  A  25 HP Long Shaft 2 Strong will cost you  Php 110.000 from ALS Marine.

But if you need to replace a Gear Set you must buy the set alone for Php 96.000.

Also, there is no available gear set in Stock L

 this is aftersales service !!!

As already reported in this column sometime ago, we found that of the 564 marine reserves in the whole Visayas region of the country, only about 33% or one-third has been found to be functional, that is, successfully conserving marine biodiversity, including the maintenance of fishery stocks. The question is what characteristics contribute to the functionality of marine reserves? If these characteristics are known, then maybe managers of the more than 1,000 marine reserves in the country can be guided to ensure the success of their efforts in establishing these reserves.

A number of publications on marine reserves have come out in past five years (e.g. Haribon Foundation, 2005; Miclat et al., 2008; PhilReefs, 2003, 2005, 2008) but only few (e.g. White et al., 2006; Samoilys et al. 2007) have attempted to determine the factors responsible for the functionality of  marine reserves. Hence, there is a need for the present study to inform those presently managing marine reserves and also those planning to establish more marine reserves.

My colleague, Former CHED Commissioner Dr. Roberto N. Padua, made a statistical analysis of the information contained in our book “Directory of Marine Reserves in the Visayas, Philippines, 2008.” He used cluster analysis and binary logistic regression to ascertain the determinants of the functionality or non-functionality of the 564 marine reserves in the area. A complete enumeration of the characteristics of these 564 marine reserves in the area is available in the book. These characteristics are the basis of his analysis.

His results showed that the characteristics related to the management of a reserve (current manager, infrastructure support, monitoring and evaluation) contributed significantly to its functionality. Marine reserves managed by non-government organizations were more likely to succeed than those managed by a government entity. Likewise, he found that, in terms of the biological and physical characteristics, marine reserves with good, heterogenous marine habitats stood a better chance of success than those with simplified or degraded habitats.

            Dr. Padua states the implications of his findings, and I quote: “…establishing a marine reserve and then followed by a benign neglect is a disastrous strategy. First, the fisherfolk who may be adversely affected by the “no take” policy could lose whatever trust and faith they have for the benefits to be derived from marine protection. Second, local politicians who usually respond quite quickly to the sentiments of their constituencies will be forced to reject ordinances and other issuances that relate to the establishment of new marine reserves (which, by the way, is still needed in view of the relatively small sea areas that are currently managed and protected relative to the total sea area of the Philippines.) Third, and most importantly, opposition to the establishment of new marine reserves by coastal communities could mount, being thus provided with a reason why marine reserves should not be established.”

            Local government units, NGOs, government agencies should learn valuable lessons from our book and Dr. Padua’s comments.

Remember Money You cant eat! But you can make easy food for poor people!

Look and read!

Know you the new Directory MARINE RESERVES in the VISAYAS Philippines from Dr. Angel Alcala, Abner A.Bucol and Porita Nilos Kleiven?

ISBN 978-971-94409-0-1

We are inside read oure facts and compare it!

Look to the point 26 and read the table this you can arrive in only 4 years!!!!

And outside this area the local fisherman can get with hock and line fish all days!

Hallo Martin,

 

danke für die Info, die über Umwege zu uns gekommen ist. Wir freuen uns zu hören, dass du dich dafür engagierst, dass die Taucher sich von der Harpunenfischerei abwenden. Obwohl ich mit einer nachhaltigen Harpunen/Speer-Fischerei leben kann (ohne Pressluftfalsche), die von Einheimischen für den Eigenverzehr praktiziert wird, stört mich doch sehr, dass viele dies als spannenden Sport bezeichnen. Zudem haben viele keine Hemmungen, die Riffe respektlos und ignorant einfach leer zu fischen. Wie die Person von Beuchat zwar sagt, unterstützen sie nur die Apnoe Harpunenfischerei, doch ein Grossteil ihrer Produkte wird wohl eher für die destruktivere Variante verwendet. Zudem sollte es uns Tauchern doch am Herzen liegen, dass die Fische da bleiben, wo sie sind und wir sie täglich bestaunen können. Ich stör mich jedes Jahr von neuem an den vielen Harpunenangeboten an den Tauchmessen (abgesehen von der Boot, da sieht man fast oder gar keine solche Angebote). Ich hoffe, dass da bald ein Umdenken stattfindet. Wir waren soeben kürzlich mit Beuchat in Kontakt wegen einem Projekt. Da Beuchat jedoch stark in der Harpunenfischerei etabliert ist, kommen sie für uns als Sponsoren nicht in Frage, was wir ihnen auch so mitteilen werden.

 

Wenn gleichzeitig noch möglichst viele Taucher ihre Meinung dazu sagen, dann ist dies am effektivsten.

 

Vielen Dank für deinen Einsatz und liebe Grüsse

Dominic   

 

Dominic Ziegler

Manager

 

Project AWARE Foundation Europe

Divers Conserving Underwater Environments^SM

remeber money kill all???

Dear E??,

 

There are many of us divers who dive because we love to watch maginificent fishes in their natural habitat. I am sure many of your customers believe in ethical practices of the sport, and more of them are diving because of the love for marine life and not for a living. There is a worrying trend that these awesome predators of the reef is in a fast decline worldwide. In most areas, killing of predator reeef fishes has become unsustainable. Hunting has become relentless, and it can disrupt the whole food chain off. That’s bad news not just for us who spend our own money to help conserve marine life for the community, it will also kill your market for scuba equipment. As breeding stocks for these fishes go, the other marine life also deteriotrate, as it is really a part of the ecosystem. Dive equipment companies like yours should support marine reserves and get updated on what is actually happening so you can also stop producing products that encourage sport fishing. You can promote handline fishing - it may not be flashy, but it follows the rules, pays the bills, and over time, will keep these great fishes in the water. It will also keep your company, too.

 

Martin und Team

Dive-Hub-Antulang

Perfect Solution for High Quality Divers

ITC -Center

Instructor Training Center

Barangay Si-It, Siaton Negros Oriental

Cel.No.+639293486801

Fax: : +4932121155941

Martin.Jordan@web.de

http://www.dive-philippinen.com

 

Von: E??
Gesendet: Dienstag, 3. November 2009 10:02
An: Martin Jordan
Betreff: Re: AW: Beuchat Newsletter / Nov 09 / Philippines Edition

 

Dear Martin,

 

Let me explain you a little about spearfishing. Personally,  I’ve been living in Asia the last past 5 years, and I know how they practice spearfishing: Asian mainly use tanks, don’t respect any endangered species, etc. The respect of environment is not well shown with this practice. 

The spearfishing that Beuchat supports, is the “real” sport, it’s breath holding spearfishing, which has been practiced for centuries, many ethnics used to fish with an harpoon underwater with breath holding (Melanesia, Polynesia, Indonesian, etc.). Beuchat has been developing products (spearguns, diving suits etc.) to practice spearfishing in different waters (from tropical to cold). The competitions we support respect the environment, the endangered species, etc. Moreover all fishes are not wasted, they will be food to the competitors and family. Which is more respectful for a sustainable development than the dynamite fishing, over fishing or the shark fins fishing which you can encounter in Philippine’s waters, and even in other Asian countries water, and more.

Finally I hope with this explanation you can understand that Beuchat cares and is aware of our environment.

It will be my pleasure to answer you if you need more explanations or information on this matter.

Best regards,

E?? 

Join us at DEMA / Orlando - USA / November 4 – 7, 2009 / Booth 857 - 753

 

Become a Beuchat fan  

 

 

 

On 01/11/2009, at 9:56 PM, Martin Jordan wrote:

 

I fount it  very bat that a company how Beuchat make a Spearfishing
competition, one company more they not understand the time in the we live!

Martin und Team
Dive-Hub-Antulang

Perfect Solution for High Quality Divers
ITC -Center
Instructor Training Center
Barangay Si-It, Siaton Negros Oriental
Cel.No.+639293486801
Fax: : +4932121155941
Martin.Jordan@web.de
http://www.dive-philippinen.com

—–Ursprüngliche Nachricht—–
Von: E??
Gesendet: Sonntag, 1. November 2009 06:27
An: elucien
Betreff: Beuchat Newsletter / Nov 09 / Philippines Edition

Dear Philippines’s Dive Centers,

Please find attached our November 09 newsletter in which we announce the
Maldives government dives for climate change, Beuchat & Redang Pelangi
marine aware project, Beuchat Spearfishing competitions and our new dive
computer release.

Don’t hesitate to contact me for any inquiries,

Best regards,

E??  
Asia Pacific Regional Manager

how we get dayli poisend from the one dark wather and from Mining

 

Thammasat Int. J. Sc. Tech., Vol.5, No.2, May -August 2000

Amplification of Mercury Concentrationsin

the Marine Food Chain of the East Coast of

1. Introduction

Mercury coumpounds are utilized on a

wide scale both in industry and agriculture

Mercury from industrial and agricultural wastes

accumulatein soil and water, and is partially

transportetdo the aquatice nvironmentw, hich in

turn becomesa sourceo f contaminationo f fish

and other organisms. The ability of some

microorganismsto methylatein organicm ercury

to the moreb iologicals tablea lkyl formsa ndt he

more toxic forms further increasesth e dangero l

contamination[1 ]. The concerna boutm ercury

pollutioni n the marinee nvironments tartedi n

the 1950s with the case of Minamata in Japan

where severapl eopled iedo r became.terminally

sick after consuming fish and

’strett

fish

containing relatively high concentrationso f

methyl mercury [2]. High levels of mercury

were also found in fish from Swedish lakes and

streamsT. he principalm ercuryc ontaminatioonf

these fish was reported to be an organic form of

methyl mercury [3].

Thailand

Voravit CheevaPorn

Departmento f Aquatic ScienceB, uraphaU niversity,B angsaen,

Chonburi 20 13 1, Thailand

Imelda Velasquez

MarineS cienceIn stituteU, niversityo f theP hilippines,

Diliman,Q uezonI l0l, PhiliPPines

Piamsak Menasveta

Aquatic ResourcesR esearchIn stitute,C hulalongkornU niversify,

Bangkok I 0330, Thailand

Abstract

Threeh undreda nd ninetys ampleso f marineo rganismsw erec ollectedf rom the EastC oasto f

Thailandf or total mercurya nalysis.T he resultsi ndicatedt hat mercuryl evelso f fish and other marine

organisms from the East Coast of Thailand are within the safety limit. However, biological

ma’gnificationo f mercuryr esiduei n the marinef ood chainw as observedO. rganismso f highert rophic

levelsh ave higher mercuryr esiduet han thosei n the lower trophic levels.S tatisticaal nalysiss howed

positive linear iegression between the size of the marine organisms and mercury contents of some

specieosf marineo rganisms.

Many studies on a wide range of marine

fish have reportedp ositivec orrelationsb etween

mercury concentration and a measure of age,

weight,o r lengtho f fish [4,5,6,7,8,9]T. his may’

however, reflect the increased interest in

mercury as a potential threat to human health’

Despitet his tendencyf or mercuryt o increasein

concentrationw ith increasings izelageo f some

fish, muscle mercury levels tend to be less than

I ppm with kidney and liver levels slightly

higheIr l 0 . l l . l 2 . l 3 l .

In 1975, the total mercury contents ot

fish in the Gulf of Thailand ranged from 0 to

0.58 ppm [4]. In the same year, traces of total

mercury were found in the marine food chain of

Bang Prac oastaal reao f Chonburip rovinceI l]

which tend to increasea t highert rophic levels

and accordingto the sizeo f organisms. Since

Thailand is one of the countries where the

nationwide fish consumption is comparatively

high, further study on the contamination of

mercuryi n fish and other marineo rganismsis

essential.

A A

2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Sample collection and treatment

Samples for mercury analysis were

collected from Station A (Angsila) Station B

(Laem Chabang) subdivision of Chonburi

province and Station C (Ban Pae) subdivision of

Rayong province(Fig. l). Fish samples were

collected from the catch by otter trawl in

January 1999. The species of fish and other

organisms from which samples were taken

ranged from the lower trophic level to the higher

trophic levels. Plankton samples were collected

by a plankton net. All of the samples were

preservedin a freezera t approximately-2 0 oC.

For fish assay the samples were thawed and

dissected with a stainless steel knife, and a

portion of muscle under the dorsal fin, kidney,

liver, gill, and stomach were dried in the freeze

dryer and used for mercury determination.

2.2 Mercury analysis

Total mercury levels in fish and other

organismsw ere determinedb y meanso f Colc

Vapor analysist echniquesO. ne gram of tissue

was digested in 20 ml of I :1 conaentratecr

redistilled HNO3 and concentratedH zSOq, and

further oxidized with 10 mL of saturated

KzSzOs solution. Excess oxidizing agents and

mercury ions were reduced by l0 mL of

reducing solution (3%NaBHa in l% NaOH) in

hydride generatora pparatus,a nd then mercury

was vaporized and measured in the flamelesss

atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

A Perkin-Elmer 3300 atomic absorption

spectrophotometer (The Perkin-Elmer

Corporation, Norwalk, CT) equipped with a

MHS-I0 mercury hydride system was used to

determine the total mercury concentration of

each sample. The accuracy of these

determination was verified with a standard

reference material DOLT-1 (dogfish liver :

0.225 + 0.057 ppm Hg) of the National Research

Council of Canada. Results of analysis are

within the range of + 10 %.

ThammasaInt t.J . Sc.T ech.V, ol.5,N o.2,M ay- August2 000

3. Results and Discussion

One hundred and seventy samples of 5

species of fish, one hundred and eight samples

of2 specieso fcrustacean,f ifty-four sampleso f

I species of shellfish, fifty-four samples of I

species of squid and four samples of plankton

from the East Coast of Thailand were analysed

for total mercury. Results showed that total

mercury concentrations ranged from 0.002 -

0.714 ppm (dry weight) with the mean value of

0.118 ppm. While those found in 1975 in the

adjacent area ranged from 0-0.58 ppm [4]. Of

the total of 390 samples analysed, 20 %

contained less than 0.05 ppm of total mercury,

79 %o had a total mercury content between 0.05 -

0.5 ppm and I o/o contained over 0.5 ppm.

According to Menasveta t 1] , these

concentration can be regarded as a natural

background of mercury for fish in general. It

should be noted that only 3 samples were found

having total mercury levels above the United

States Food and Drug Administration tolerance

limit of 0.5 ppm.

Table 1 gives the mean and standard

deviationo f total mercury concentrationsin the

four trophic levels. The mean values of total

mercury for the first and second trophic levels

( compositeds pecieso f plankton) from station

A (Angsila) and B (Laem Chabang) were 0.004

and 0.007 ppm, respectively. The mercury

residue concentration in the third trophic level

was higher than the first and second trophic

levels.T he meanv aluesw ere0 .068.0 .1 12,a nd

0.053 ppm for station A, B, and C respectively.

The mean values of the fourth trophic level

have higherm ercuryr esidueth ant hosei n third

trophic level as shown in Tablel. Student’t'test

showed significant difference in total mercury

concentrationbse tweentr ophicl evelsI + ll and

trophic level III and between trophic levels III

and IV ( p < 0.5 ). The lowest mercury residue

( 0.002 ppm ) was detected in the composite

specieso f planktonw hile the highestm eroury

residue (0.714 ppm) was detected in Loligo

formosana (Splendid squid). This species was

categorized in trophic level IV

25

ThammasaItn t..J.S c.T ech.,V ol.5,N o.2, May August2 000

Table l: Total mercury contents (ppm) in different trophic levels from three sampling stations

( Angsila, Laem Chabang, and Rayong )

A) Angsila station

Trophic levels No. of samples standardd eviation

I

B) Laem Chabang station

Trophicl evels No. of samples standardd eviation

C) Rayong station

Trophicl evels No. of samples standardd eviation

Based on the above analysis, it can be

concluded that there is a biological

magnification of mercury residue in the marine

food chain of the East Coast of Thailand’ Fish of

higher trophic levels contain higher mercury

residue than those in the lower trophic levels

(Fig. 2). This suggests that mercury may be

concentratedin the same mannera s an organic

compounds uch as organochlorinec ompounds,

i.e., passed through and amplified by the food

chain. The concept also conforms to the the

datap resentedb y Johnelse t al. [3], Scott[ 15] ‘

andM enasveta[l ].

Statisticala nalysiss howed positivel inear

resression between the size of the marine

organisms (weight) and mercury contents of

some species of marine organisms. Figure 3

gives the exampleo f the linear regressionin

Peneausm erguiensis( White shrimp), Portunus

pelagicus (Blue swimming crab), Mytilus edulis

( Green mussel), Sillago maculata (Trumpeter

sillago), and Atule mate (Banded crevalle)

collected from stationB. (Laem Chabang)’

However, the results showed different

correlation between size and mercury contents

in different sampling stations for other

organisms. The positive linear regression

between agelor weight and mercury contents of

fish is welldocumentedb y Scott[ 15].

26

Figure 4. showed the mean values of

mercury content in various marine organisms

collected from 3 sampling stations. The results

indicated that Portunus pelagicus ( Blue

swimming crab)(0.240 ppm), Loligo formosana

(Splendids quid)(0.325p pm) and Atule mate

(Bandedc revalle)( 0.387p pm) havet heh ighest

mercury content among other marine organisms

colfected from Angsila, Laem Chabang, and

Rayong respectively. However, the average

mercuryc ontento f thesem arine’organismfsr om

the East Coast of Thailand were lower than the

United States Food and Drug Administration

tolerance limit of 0.5 ppm.

The mercury contents in various tissues

such as kidney, stomach, gill, muscle, and liver

of Epinephelus corallicola (Grouper) collected

from station b. ( Laem Chabang) were analysed.

Highest mercury residues were found in kidney

and liver respectivel(y Fig. 5 ). This is probably

due to their high affinity for sulphur containing

ligands such as sulhydryl (-SH) group in

metallothionine in fish’s kidney and liver as

described by De [6]. Similar results were

reported by Thongra-ar [7] in 1988.

The resultso f this studyi ndicatedth att he

average mercury content of fish and other

marine organisms from the Eastern Coast of

Thailand was lower than the United States Food

and Drug Administraton tolerance limit of 0.5

ppm. The mean value of 0.118 ppm for total

mercury is only one-fourth of this tolerance

limit. However it is probably not practical to

consider this recommended level without

correlatingi t to the frequencyo f consumptionI.t

was estimated that the fish/sea food

consumption rate among Thai people is 20

kg/person/year[8 ]. This level is equal to 55

g/person/dayI.f the mean total mercury content

of fish and other marine organisms is 0.118

ppm, it can be calculated that the daily intake of

mercury through fish/seafood consumption is

6.49 pglperson/day for Thai people. This value

is greater than 4 pglperson/day as reported from

Sweden [19]. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert

Committee on Food Additives proposed that the

provisional tolerate-weekly intake (PTWI) of

mercury for man be set at 0.0033 mg/kg bodyweight

for methyl mercury. This value is equato

to PTWI of 0.2 mg. mercury as methyl

mercury, for an average body-weight of 60 kg

The daily mercury intake of 6.49 pglpersonlday

ThammasaItn t. J. Sc.T ech.,V ol.5,N o.2, May -August 2000

which we derived from this study, would

contribute to weekly intake of 0.045 mg/person.

This level is only one-fourth of PTWI of

mercury ( assuming that all mercury contributed

by fish and other marine organisms is in the

form of methyl mercury). It is therefore, the

mercury levels of fish and other marine

organisms from the East Coast of Thailand are

within the safety limit for consumption.

4. Conclusions

The resulto f this study indicatest hat the

mercury levels .of fish and other marine

organisms from the East Coast of Thailand are

within the safety limit. However, the situation

may changei n the future,b ecausea t presento ur

country is still at developing stage. Modern

agriculturatle chniquesi,n cludinge xtensiveu se

of pesticides, coupled with industrial

developmentw, ill probably increaset he amount

of mercury in the environment in the future.

Hence, the plan for monitoring, proper

protection and control of mercury residue in

Thailand’s environment should be formulated

andi mplementewd ithoutd elay.

5. Acknowledgements

This investigationis financiallys upported

by The Thailand Research Fund (TRF). The

authors thank Mrs. Rattana Cheevaporn, Ms.

WannaK osillawatf or theirt echnicaal ssistance.

6. References

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Chain of Bang Pra Coastal Area Cholburi,

J. Sci.Soc. Thailand, Yol. 2, pp.1l7-126,

1976.

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from Cfay Lake, Ontario, J. Fish. Res.

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Thailand, Research Report No. 3412531,

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28

Thammasaltn t. J. Sc. Tech.,V ol.S, No.2, May -August 2000

Figure5 Averagem ercuryc ontenitn variousti ssueso f Epinephelucso rallicola

( Grouper)

Epinephelus corallicola